Help -Skimmer Overflowing Constantly

[Milad]

so you guys are saying vinger and hot water? i was using baking soda and hot water to clean them.

[fishytime]

are you using RO or tap water?.......if your using tap water are you using a water "conditioner"?

[DiverDude]

Doug....All RO/DI here. 100 GPD system and just 35 gal system volume so everything is still quite new and 0ppm TDS.

[DiverDude]

Update on this: The skimmer had calmed down a bit to the point where the collection cup was about 3/4 full of essentially clean water every day. Not immediately overflowing but not skimming usefully either.

This morning, I had a few minutes so I pulled a few rocks from teh tank and was ripping hair algae from them when the skimmer suddenly overflowed.

Ok, now I have some correlation: algae seems to be setting it off. This would tend to make sense because my water is spotless.

Anyone else ever seen this ?

A buddy has offered to lend me a high power UV Sterilizer for a few weeks in the hope that may help.

[globaldesigns]

Personally I was my filter socks in the washing machine also with bleach, very hot and second rinse. I have never had an issue with soaps, leached into the socks, but all washers are different I guess.

I agree with Skimmer King, don't use soap when washing your hands. I just rinse real well and use a clean towel.

DKH fluctuations, the use of 2part epoxy (drying stage only) and many other things can cause skimmers to go nuts. Is there anything you do, before or hours/day before the skimmer goes nuts. Take note of what you have done, it may the cause.

[DiverDude]

So nobody out there has ever seen algae make their skimmer go nuts !?

Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree then....

[Canadian]

Originally Posted by Skimmer King

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm Ok 2nd thought

If you have a skimmer the is super efficient then its going to clean the tank up till there isnt any thing to clean. Now once the tank has gotten to that level then what ever you put into the water is going to cause the chemistry of the water to flip around. having a high ALk will cause your skimmer to over flow too.

And 3rd option if your filter socks are washed in the washing machine its still going to get soap residue from the other washing.

4th

feed more to cause the tank to get some nutrients in the water to cause the bubble to stick to the nutrients

super high PH will do the skimmer funny things

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/1/aafeature#h6

This article and the one previous to it would suggest there is no way for a skimmer clean anything so that there isn't "anything left to clean".

[DiverDude]

That may well be true but the point right now is not how efficient my skimmer is at removing what may be in the water column, but rather why it fills the collection cup so quickly with clean water.

Once I answer that question, I could begin to debate the relative efficiency of the device itself !

[Canadian]

Originally Posted by DiverDude

That may well be true but the point right now is not how efficient my skimmer is at removing what may be in the water column, but rather why it fills the collection cup so quickly with clean water.

Once I answer that question, I could begin to debate the relative efficiency of the device itself !

That post wasn't directed at you. I just wanted to dispel the ubiquitous notion that skimmers are some how uber efficient filtration devices.

With respect to your problem with overflowing: a) have you recently done a water change or changed salt brands b) when was the last time you cleaned and checked the nipple on your venturi intake? Sometimes they build up with deposits and if you adjust your skimmer to the reduced intake and the deposit becomes dislodged you end up with a mess.

[DiverDude]

I've finally figured out the problem. The sponges at the bottom of this unit can become clogged with gunk. The back pressure caused by the restricted flow causes the skimmer to overflow and overflow and.....

Now...you're thinking "ya gotta CLEAN the skimmer once in a while, ya know !" and yes, I clean it quite regularly but it didn't even look dirty this time (I was just fed up with it).

This was a really simple issue and sadly, no one (not even the dealer) could offer any help. So I'm posting this in the hope that some poor bastard who's about ready to pitch their BMQQ through a window can save himself the grief (and expense).

It's important to note that depending on where you mount this thing in your setup, it may be very difficult to see that the sponges are dirty until they are in your hand.

So if your BMQQ overflows and you just can't adjust it high enough to get it to stop, check the sponges.

Of course, if you bought a skimmer that came with a manual of some usefulness, gems like this are likely found in the manual. BM manuals are the worst chinglish and aren't worth the paper they're printed on.